Verconia norba
| Verconia norba | |
|---|---|
| |
| Verconia norba off of Guam, head end towards the bottom of the image | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
| Order: | Nudibranchia |
| Suborder: | Doridina |
| Superfamily: | Doridoidea |
| Family: | Chromodorididae |
| Genus: | Verconia |
| Species: | V. norba
|
| Binomial name | |
| Verconia norba (Marcus & Marcus, 1970)
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Noumea norba Er. Marcus & Ev. Marcus, 1970 | |
Verconia norba is a species of colorful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.[1]
Distribution[edit]
This species is found throughout the tropical Indo-West Pacific.[2]
Description[edit]
The length of the body varies between 7 mm and 25 mm. In this species the mantle can vary in color from reddish purple to pinkish orange. The mantle border is creamy white. Just inside the mantle border are a series of reddish purple streaks or smudged marks which are a more vibrant purple than the main body color. Along the midline of the animal is a white patch that matches the white border. This patch sometimes encircles the gills and extends anteriorly between the rhinophores. The line is often broken into two patches anterior-posteriorly. The rhinophores and branchia (gills) have an orange-red tint. Identifying individual purple sea slugs within the genus Noumea can be challenging because purple forms exist in several related species.
Ecology[edit]
The food source for this species has not been definitely identified, however this species has been found on coralline alga, which may prove to be part of its diet.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ Bieler, R. (2015). Verconia norba (Er. Marcus & Ev. Marcus, 1970). In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=866658 on 13 January 2016
- ^ Noumea norba, Sea Slug Forum.
- ^ Noumea norba food source, Sea Slug Forum.
- Marcus, E. & Marcus, E. 1970. Opisthobranch Mollusks from the Southern Tropical Pacific. Pacific Science 24: 155-179
- Debelius, H. & Kuiter, R.H. 2007. Nudibranchs of the world. Frankfurt : IKAN-Unterwasserarchiv.
External links[edit]
- Noumea norba on Sea Slug Forum
- Noumea norba on Nudipixel
- "Noumea norba". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- Photos of Verconia norba on Sealife Collection